By Michael Buzzelli
“There are many ways to the Divine. I have chosen the ways of song, dance, and laughter” – Rumi.
You wouldn’t think a play about a divisive topic such as Anti-vaxxing would be filled with glorious laughter, but playwright Jonathan Spector somehow manages to make it work in his play, “Eureka Day.”
At the Eureka Day School in Berkeley, California, in 2018, a mumps outbreak among the kids sparked a war among the adults over the dos and don’ts of vaccinations.
Don (John Shepard), the school administrator, who could teach a class called, “Zen and the Art of School Board Administration,” desperately tries to maintain control of the school’s inner circle, which includes co-founder Suzanne (Daina Michelle Griffith), Meiko (Desirée Mee Jung), Eli (Max Pavel), and newcomer to the board, Carina (Jalina McClarin).
Queen Bee Suzanne is both a mom and a martinet, who hides the tight reins of control behind a genial composure.
Meiko is a single mom seeking respite from loneliness. She is desperate for affection and finds it in Eli, who claims he’s in an open relationship, though his wife would argue the finer points of their relationship.
We navigate the uncharted waters of the private school through Carina’s eyes. She is the newbie trying to assimilate and stand up for herself among the strong personalities of the group.
Things are going swimmingly until there’s a mump in the road.
The riotous “Community Activated Conversation: A livestream event,” that gives personalities to every username in the chatroom, erupts into chaos. It’s both brilliant and hilarious. Spector nails it.
While each actor gets a moment to shine, John Shepard gives a standout performance. His Don is a quirky, let ‘s-get-in-touch-with-our-feelings sort of administrator. He is a wiser Phoebe Buffay running a Montessori School and quoting Rumi.
Griffith’s Suzanne is a passive-aggressive anti-vaxxer with strong opinions and strong emotions. Her character continually tries to rise above her swirling tornado of emotions while plastering a smile on her face.
Pavel’s character is so pent up with nervous energy, Eli is a boy in an adult body, and the character can’t help but touch every squishy prop in the room.
McClarin’s Carina is brimming with enthusiasm and joy until she realizes what she’s up against, and she has to learn to take a stand. She is delightful.
Jung’s performance is also terrific. She gets a few unhinged moments and executes them perfectly. While her actions are heightened, she never goes over the top.
Sasha Jin Schwartz makes masterful use of the space, designing the room to resemble the library in an upscale elementary school. The large windows denote day and night thanks to Xuewei (Eva) Hu on lighting design.
Spector is a master at crosstalk; the conversations are replete with unfinished thoughts and sentences, giving the actors naturalistic dialogue. It’s the Altman-esque technique that made “M*A*S*H*,” “The Player,” and “Gosford Park” hit films.
Adil Mansoor directs with verve. He gets amazing performances out of his actors. Moving them around with frenetic pace, especially in the slower sections that are filled with much-needed exposition. Mansoor, like Rumi, posits that the characters in “Eureka Day” are a universe in ecstatic motion.
The ending is the perfect punchline to accentuate the craziness of the early 2020s.
-MB
“Eureka Day” runs until March 26 at the City Theatre, 1300 Bingham Street, Pittsburgh, PA. For tickets and additional information, click here.
